The Joker's Epitaph
Plot Just as it looks like The Boy Wonder is about to become a permanent part of next week's comic issue, the faithful Alfred, disguised as The Batman, Batclimbs to The Joker's hideout, enters the window, arrives just in time to gas the bad guys and release Robin. Joker, however, escapes with his minions and a document signed by Bruce that names The Joker bank vice president! The next time Batman and Robin pay a visit to the bank, they discover that Joker, employing the alias "W.C. Whiteface," has hired his moll and gang as bank employees. Unable to take legal action, The Duo return to Wayne Manor. There, as Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, they meet with Joker and Josie, who now proceeds to attempt to perpetrate an intricate blackmail scheme on Bruce with a secret tape recording of his demand for counterfeit cash! In exchange for the tape, Bruce must turn over the corpses of The Dynamic Duo. He refuses and Joker then orders Bruce to marry Josie with an initial $3 million marriage settlement! Bruce can't figure out how to foil the scheme without revealing his secret identity, so he, with Dick, seeks an alternate way out. Back in The Batcave, Batman and Robin hatch a Batscheme to use The Joker's own robots against him. While The Boy Wonder rigs the robots, Bruce Wayne is summoned upstairs where he is apprehended. Believing Bruce was not in his right mind when he appointed Joker to the position of bank VP, Gordon calls in a specialist named Dr. Floyd, who arranges for Bruce to be declared legally insane and put away for his own good! Wayne is then apprehended by Chief O'Hara and The AntiLunatic Squad. Alfred quickly heads to The Batcave to relay this info to Robin, and, after giving Boff, Yock and Mr. Glee their final instructions, Robin and Alfred speed off by Batmobile to rescue Bruce. Locating the van, they blast open its doors with The Batray and use the superpowered Batmagnet to attract the metal buckles of Bruce's straitjacket to yank him from the speeding van, and he rolls with the fall to escape harm. Bruse switches back to Batman with a spare Batsuit, and The Dynamic Duo race the remaining mile to the bank, arriving just in time to witness the robots in action. Mr. Glee identifies Josie as his long-lost wife, and The Caped Crusader accuses The Joker of aiding and abetting bigamy! Just then, Boff and Yock, the robot tellers, start holding up the customers as per Batman's instructions. Realizing something has gone awry, The Joker pulls out his robot control device and reprogram Boff and Yock to seize The Dynamic Duo. Batman and Robin, knowing that Joker has hoisted himself on his own petard, use the opportunity to pin an attempted murder charge on The Fiendish Funnyman once they have quickly dispatched the mechanical malefactors. Later, Dr. Floyd pronounces that Bruce's fall from the van has restored his sanity, and Bruce receives a clean bill of health. Appearances Individuals *Batman *Robin *Alfred *Commissioner Gordon *Chief O'Hara *The Joker *Joker's Teller Robot Locations *Gotham National Bank Miscellanea *Joker's Penthouse Publisher See Also List of Batman (1960s series) Episodes 2.82